The First Regiment of Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was the first volunteer regiment offered in service to President Lincoln after the fall of Ft. Sumter. Men and boys attended patriotic rallies throughout the young state and signed their names to papers that pledged they would answer the president’s call. ­They were strong men, toughened by rugged pioneer life, and in the next three years they drew on that strength time and again. ­e men of the First Minnesota served in nearly every major battle in the eastern campaign with the Army of the Potomac and were frequently cited for their professional conduct in the field and for their bravery—nowhere more so than at the Battle of Gettysburg, where their harrowing sacrifice saved the Union from defeat and helped turn the tide of the war.

Every Man Did His Duty tells the individual stories of over a hundred men who served in the First Minnesota, from the regiment’s commanders to its courageous, young privates. Jorgenson researched the men and history of the First Minnesota over decades, gathering stories from diaries, pension records, newspaper articles, and family archives, as well as published histories. Along with the individual histories of the men, he includes hundreds of photographs, including historical photographs, portraits of the men, and color photographs of artifacts selected from archives and personal collections across the country—including his own extensive collection—creating an unprecedented visual record of the regiment.

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This a .32 caliber Moore revolver from National Arms Company, Brooklyn New York. This is the “teat fire” revolver, one style of several that were designed to get around the Smith & Wesson rimfire patents. This has a 3 ¼” round barrel, six… (809-08). Learn More »